OK, I promised to post my list, so here goes… along with a few comments.
- Use CFL bulbs wherever possible
(some of my light fixtures won’t accommodate them, but I’ve got them everywhere I possibly can)
- Recycle, recycle, recycle
(our city provides a container for recyclable materials, so we have bins in the house to separate the trash as we toss it)
- Reuse everything we can, and often buy used whenever we can
(some things don’t HAVE to be brand, spanking new, and to be honest, I often find more character in, say, a used bookcase picked up at a yard sale or the Goodwill than I do something bought brand-new at the store)
- Have weatherized our home as much as possible
(it’s an old home, and we don’t own it—YET!—but we’ve done what we can… we’ve patched up every hole and leak we could find, and have plans to install (removable) heat film on the south and west windows to help conserve energy and lower our utility bills)
- Have replaced our AC units with Energy Star units
(couldn’t find swamp coolers anywhere or might have gone that way… and, unfortunately, in this climate, having some way to cool your home is a health necessity)
- Keep the thermostats higher than average in the summer and lower in the winter than average
- Plan to replace the refrigerator with an Energy Star appliance this fall
- Water heater set at 120
- Unplug/turn off appliances (computers, too) when not in use wherever possible, and have unplugged all chargers for cell phones, cameras, etc.
- Wash only full loads and try to dry as much as possible without the clothes dryer
- Buy eco-friendly cleaning products and recycled paper products
(I really like Seventh Generation products – they cost a little more, but are good stuff… I use their laundry detergent, dish soap, kitchen cleaner, shower & tub cleaner, toilet paper, and paper towel)
- Plant trees and other green, growing things, grow vegetables (organically!), and make compost to enrich the soil
- Carpool whenever we can (like to classes) or ride the bus
- Print on both sides of the paper whenever possible to do so
(I can’t do that for school papers, but my printer has a ‘duplex’ printing setting and I use that for everything else)
- Use comics and other things for wrapping paper for gifts
- Use email or the internet whenever possible instead of snail mail
- Reuse boxes and packing materials when sending packages
- Put solar lighting in my back yard
Now, for a few additional comments… This was almost 30 years ago, but I refused to use disposable diapers with my daughter. I used cloth ones instead. Also, and this is nothing more than a statement of fact and certainly not meant to say I think everyone else should do as I have done, but, I stopped eating beef and pork almost 34 years ago (fall of 1973), so have not contributed to those industries on a personal level since then. I do eat chicken, fish, and seafood sometimes, but it is not often, and I would like to eliminate even those from my diet (did so for many years), but this would make it harder on the rest of my family, so I compromise there.
The point here is we all do what we can, and the effect is cumulative. The point is NOT that we all have to ditch all our electronic devices, or go vegan (I am not vegan!), or only wear clothes made from hemp (although that is a GREAT fabric!), or all ride the bus or bicycles, but we do what we CAN, and strive to do more. We must THINK about what we do and why we do it, and make changes in our lives wherever we can. It all adds up when we are all trying to do something about it TOGETHER!
For example, I would love to own a hybrid car like vigo, but that is simply not feasible at this point in my life. It can, however, be a goal to aspire to, and I CAN try to limit driving my car whenever possible. Or, much as I admire the idea of not watering my yard to conserve resources (the amount of my yard that is devoted to lawn grass is comparably very small, however), that would just NOT be possible in a climate where it does NOT rain at all for about 7 months out of the year. Unfortunately, if I didn’t water my yard in the summer months, there would be nothing at all that grows here, including the trees, and the veggies. So, I have to make a compromise there, and while I’m at it, my little lawn gets a little drinkie, too. (I would have nothing but sand and burrs if I didn’t!)
OK… didn’t mean to make such a long post, and even so, there are, no doubt, some things I've forgotten to mention, but there ya go…
Anchors Aweigh!
There is prolly a lot of buzz out there about Melissa's set, and since NBC chose NOT to include it in their 'highlights' show last night, this is THE ONE that people are wanting to view now.